Rubin Recommends

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

I first discovered Mark Duplass through the band he was in Volcano, I’m Still Excited!! on Polyvinyl Records. Then I saw he was writing/directing movies and watched every single one of them. You might know of some of them The Puffy Chair, Baghead, Hannah Takes The Stairs, Humpday, and his most recent CYRUS (starring John C Reilly, Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei.) He’s also one of the stars of the show The League which was one of my favorite shows last year.

Name: Mark Duplass
Location: Los Feliz (east side of LA)
Age: 33
Occupation: Filmmaker/Dad

Rubin: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Duplass: My brother Jay and I are preparing to direct a film we wrote that starts shooting in a few months in New Orleans (our hometown). We’re in that fun phase of dreaming about what the movie will be, picking locations, making friends with the new crew members, etc. It’s like showing up at summer camp on the first day and trying to guess what the next 3 months are gonna be like.

Rubin: Where have you traveled this month or recently?

Duplass: We just got back from Sundance where we showed our latest movie CYRUS. Also went to Ann Arbor to show CYRUS as part of a Sundance outreach thingy. 2 frozen tundras in one month. Geez. But, somehow, I had the best BBQ I’ve had in about 10 years in Michigan. And, I used to live in Austin, so that’s kinda saying something big.

Rubin: What’s your favorite music right now?

Duplass: Midlake. Knocks me out every time. That mood is so timeless. It’s like Steely Dan, but less ironic and more heartfelt. But still has that amazing musicianship. I don’t know. I’m really into the earnest thing right now. All this said, Survivor‘s “I Can’t Hold Back” made me cry at the end of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I’m not kidding.

Rubin: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Duplass: In my ‘neighborhood, it’s all about the Korean BBQ. Soot Bull Jeep. In Koreatown, in LA. My wife brought me there for Valentine’s Day. I ate so much I pretty much ruined the rest of the date. Totally worth it, though.

Rubin: Anything else you want to mention?

Duplass: My 2 year-old daughter and I are watching “Elmo goes Potty” right now. Life rules.